Don't Wait Too Long
by SabrinaScissorhands
Summary: Little, perceptive Posy doesn't miss much, especially when it comes to her older brother. Implied GalexKatniss. Gale & Posy Hawthorne.


My feet move slowly down the road towards our home. I'm not sure what time it is; all I know is that it must be after midnight. Our television broadcast of the 74th Hunger Games ended at nine. As soon as the final play of the anthem rang out, I was gone. Normally I don't risk the woods at night, but that was where I had gone. I didn't want to be spoken to, and lord knows after that, my family would want to. Especially Posy. And I Just couldn't tell her the truth.

The truth that I really did hurt from Katniss and Peeta in that damn cave. I know how Katniss looks when she's plotting something. I know how she looks when she's trying to draw something close only to pierce it through the eye. And I see that in her when she is with Peeta.

But sometimes it scares me. Because sometimes, that look is not there. There are these moments when I can see that it's not all an act. Part of her, at least, doesn't mind acting like this around Peeta. But then, just like that, the expression that makes me doubt is gone, and I wonder if I have just imagined it all. It drives me mad.

I feel like I've lost her, though.

I clench my fists in helpless frustration as I push the front door open. And as soon as the door is open, I want to turn right back around and walk out.

"Gale," her tiny voice whispers.

My eyes cut through the darkness, broken only by a dull light bulb in the kitchen. I locate her mop of messy red hair quickly.

I sigh, moving towards my little sister, and then I pick her up. "Posy, shouldn't you be in bed?" I ask, drifting towards the bedroom door.

"No!" she cries, struggling to keep her voice quiet.

"Well, it's at least midnight. Aren't you tired?"

"No, there's something I need to tell you," she says, her voice hushed in a childlike urgency.

I just give her a miniscule smile and then sit down with her on my lap. I had been afraid little perceptive Posy would ask about Katniss. This, though, I can do. "What is it?"

"Well, it's really big. And I tried to sleep, but I just couldn't because I've been waiting to tell you. And I have been thinking about it for _looong_ time. So I had to wait for you to come home."

"Well?"

Posy leans in as closely to my ear as she can and whispers, "I like a boy."

I smile at her as she pulls her face back. "Oh yeah? What's he like?"

Posy wrings her hands together, and I can see a faint blush on her cheeks even in the faint light of the room. "He's nice. And he's not dumb like the rest of my class."

For a moment, I don't know what to tell her. I just run my hand up and down her arm idly, ghost of a smile still on my lips. "Well, let me tell you what. All boys are dumb. Trust me."

"But you're a boy…"

"Yes, and I'm _very_ dumb. And I have cooties."

Posy giggles. "No! Only weird boys do!"

"No, we all do. We all get them. So, you just wait until you're older to figure out which boy is the _least_ dumb and is the _least_ infected. Okay?"

She nods, still grinning.

"And then when you find this boy, you'll know it. You'll be happiest when you're alone with him. Everything he does will make you happy," I say quietly. "You'll watch out for him. Do fun things together. Then, you tell that boy that you like him a lot."

Her eyes stare at me in amazement. "What if he doesn't like me back?" Her tiny voice is so quiet, I have to strain to hear it.

"Well, if he seems just as happy with you as you are with him, he does. It's really simple."

"But what if I'm too scared to say it, Gale?"

"You won't be," I answer softly. "Because you're going to remember what I'm about to tell you. Are you listening?"

She nods seriously.

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, whispering, "Because if you don't tell him quickly when that time comes, another girl will come along and snatch him up. Maybe you don't think that's possible. But y'know what? This girl might not even be that pretty. She might be dumber than he is. She might be _nothing_ like you. But if you don't tell that boy that you like him a lot, he's going to go with that other girl who is not nearly as good as you are. And he's not going to know any better. But he'll do it anyway, because she made it known that she liked him and you did not."

"But that's not fair!" she exclaims, looking fearful.

"No. Life isn't fair, Posy. But that's why you need to tell him as soon as you know for sure."

Posy drops her face. "That's hard, Gale…"

"Which is why you wait until you're older. But don't wait too long."

"Don't wait too long," she repeats solemnly.

I nod, stroking her hair almost sadly. She yawns, though tries to choke it back.

"It's time for bed, Posy," I whisper. "That's enough."

"Okay…" she agrees.

I pick her up, moving towards the bedroom. She wraps her arms tightly around me until I lay her down on the bed beside my mother's sleeping form.

I'm just about to leave her side and am tucking the covers up around her when she questions, hardly audible, "Is that what happened to you and Katniss?"

My fingers come to a stop, hesitating on the blanket. I look away from her. It takes me a long time to collect my one-word response. "Yes." Of course she picked up on that. I bite my lip. I just want to leave it at that, but then Posy grabs my hand.

"She likes that boy?" Her voice is shaking. It makes me feel worse than the situation did in the first place.

"I… don't know yet. But, Posy, don't worry about it," I say gently. "Just sleep. Don't worry about it."

"But, Gale! She's supposed to like you!" By this time, she is seated straight up. "That other boy probably has cooties!"

I want to smile, but I can't find it in me. "Shh, just sleep…" I turn away, hoping that says that I'm done with the conversation.

Just before I climb into bed, I hear Posy whimper, "Don't wait too long."

"Don't wait too long," I repeat.

And then I pretend to sleep until the sun comes up again.


End file.
